Official labels can obscure how far some patrol ships have grown. Norwegian Project 6615 offshore patrol vessels of more than 7,000 tons were described in practical terms as patrol destroyers. Japanese and Chinese Coast Guard ships could reach roughly 11,000 to 15,000 tons while retaining patrol designations. In these examples, the OPV label covers vessels far larger than familiar small patrol craft.
Notable Point · 21:23-21:48
When very large patrol ships outgrow the OPV label
Norwegian 7,000-ton patrol ships and larger East Asian coast-guard cutters show how an OPV designation can persist at destroyer-like scale.